What awesome kitties! If our property were further from a fast road I'd probably keep an outdoor herd, too.

 

Yeah more haha.

This is Deeni! He is such a ham, he is one of the silliest cats ever, he is such a denis the menace personality lol. He was not feral, but did come from my neighbor. When he introduced himself, he met me at the door of my barn, gave me a giant jump up rub, and has been entertaining us ever since haha.

This is Raja, my pride and joy. He came from my neighbor too, but he was never feral either. Him and 8 other cats had been LOCKED in an abandon trailer. Raja was the skinniest cat I have ever seen when he adopted me. He came down here about 2 days after she let him go at her place. He is the most devoted cat. He is really smart too. He is the top cat on the property too lol. He is such an amazing cat, I am really enamored with him lol. I could go on and on about him lol, but I wont even start.

Next up is Bitty! She was never feral either. SHe is starting to get up there in age, about 15 now I think, but you would never know it. I kittynapped her from my dad quite a few years ago haha. Shes the queen of the house. She has her own lazyboy chair with a heating pad, she never leaves the chair haha.

And last but not least (I think I got everyone now) is Other. Sadly, she was put down last year due to kidney failure. She was the craziest cat I have ever met. She had been spayed, but was very feral and mean. She is one of my most favorite cats I have ever had. She would attack hands at any chance she got, she would chase people out of my (her) barn if she didnt like them. She would chase the horses, she ruled the barn with an iron paw. She would jump on my lap and hold me hostage as I was afraid to make her get up haha! She was just so special, its hard to explain in just a few words. I still miss her so much, the barn will never be the same with out her. This is a photo of her petting herself. She would pet her own face when I would sweet talk her LOL>

 

Heidi yeah, we live way off the road, its SO nice!

 

That's a very good looking bunch of kitties you have

 

Thank you P&R!

 

Awwwww! Other looks so sweet. I also really liked the *races* on your gray and black cats; I think Honna and Bob.

 

They are all lovely kitties

 

What beautiful cats and great stories.

I love Bob's cool face stripe, but what can I say about Raja? Black cats rule! :blackcat

 

Those are some nice looking sweeties! I love reading stories like theirs. Welcome to CF!!!

 

Welcome to you and your herd. I think that it is wonderful how you have welcomed them all into your hearts and accept them for the way that they are. You and your family are very special people.

 

What beautiful kitties! I'm struck by how much patience and appreciation you have for their individual differences, especially when some of them aren't exactly lap cats. You're doing a great thing. More pictures are always welcomed . . .

 

Heidi they have funny faces huh! lol

Thank you Des

marie black cats do rule!!

Tortie thank you!

Leazie and October thank you. My mom is not as patient as I am, she gets really frustrated with some of the cats sometimes, but we work through it lol. I have MANY photos, I am big photo taker lol, so you can expect plenty of more photos from me! haha

 

Honna looks a lot like my Lil Fella, who passed away a few months ago. What a handsome man, I am also in love with Kiki- I just love lynx point kitties. What a wonderful "herd" of kitties!!

 

Welcome!

Such lovely kitties, and wonderful stories. :luv
Kiki looks so handsome.

 

Thank you RachandNito. I am sorry for your loss.

Thank you Gizmokitty!

 

I also find it interesting that these kitties are allowed to *be* who they are and yet you still are able to maintain a good relationship with them. Do you work deliberately to 'tame' or 'socialize' them, or do they make most of the overtures themselves?

My own ferals I begin by letting them be who they are and just get used to me being around. Then I slowly start to encroach into their comfort bubble until I am allowed to be close. Then I slowly infringe more and more until I am touching them and they are allowing it. Working slowly and deliberately towards being able to handle them.
I'd be interested to hear how you have been able to establish relationships with them. I am always looking to learn new skills and you may have some you can teach me. Share, please?

 

wow that's a large herd you've got.. very lovely bunch
it must be fun having so many kitties around !

 

Heidi really its some of each! I think often, by the time I saw them, they had been watching us for a while. Winter time is def. when the feral cats get the most tame. They smell the food smells in the house rule over their fear lol.

Doing, our first once feral cat, was a nearly adult kitten when we got him. He had been tamed by a friends sister though, and he was pretty poorly socialized. She had had him since he was like 12 weeks old, so he wasnt super super wild or anything. He was always just really timid in general. He was good with us, but terrified or anyone and anythign else.

Honna the fear biter, was the first one who came in from the woods. He has a hard time with other cats, so my neighbors place with 100 cats was clearly too much for him. He just wanted to hang under the house at first but we lured him out with food. He found a towel under a chair on the porch and called it home haha. From there he was real easy because I would go hang out iwth him when I would smoke (back before I quit). He has really bonded with my mom, he is totally her cat. Unfortunately, because of this, she is always the brunt of his fear biting. Just last night he bit her on the arm when she startled him I dont trust him a bit and very rarely pet him.

With Kiki I would always find him right on the edge of the woods hanging in some tall grass. I would go sit as close as he would let me and talk to him a little, and though I dont remember, I am sure I started bringing him some food. I was pretty eager to get him handled because he had the worst ear mites, half his head was bald.

Other was the first really really feral one I tamed, it took a year before she would really let me be around her and look at her lol. When she first came around you couldnt get with in 15 ft of her with out her yowling like a banshee at you. I never forced the issue with her, and eventually she just got used to me, and then accepted me as hers, as much as she could accept anyone. Though, like I said, she never really got that tame. She is the only cat we have had that never came inside, she just had no interest. Her bed was a thick, folded up blanket on the couch outside that she would burrow into the middle of, though the barn was her territory, few creatures were allowed in haha.

Though Poochie came from my moms friend, and was a stray, she had lived here for 3-4 months before we got to touch her, and still another 4 or so months before she would come inside. We did kind of press the issue with her because we could tell she had some health problems that needed addressing. She doesnt get around well at all (will have to be put to sleep in the next year for sure) and only gets up for the necessities.

Tommy, the one I am working on now, will be the first really feral cat that I will tame down to be a real people kitty. He has been here 3 years or so, and only in the last year did he even tolerate the sight of me. He has awlays been coming in to eat, but would sneak in. Since I got him neutered, he has tamed SO much! He comes in through the door when I open it for him now haha. He sings to me for food, and now I PET him!!! I have had to steal pets from him, and have about 9 times now!!! He knows I have been doign it, and turned and watched me the last 2 times. He hates it, but will learn to love it I know!